Biogas systems offer an opportunity for on-site, distributed waste management. Digesters can be used to process all types of organic waste, including sewage, solid organic wastes, animal manure, food wastes, and grey-water. These affordable systems creating flexibility for integrated waste management that directly addresses local needs.

CLEAN AIR

97% of Uganda’s population use charcoal or wood for cooking. These fuel sources degrade indoor air, posing a serious health risk to approximately 3 billion people worldwide.Clean-burning biogas offers an alternative to dirty biomass energy.

BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION

Uganda is a critical biodiversity hotspot home to some of the world's last remaining wild populations of great apes. Biogas systems protect forests by (1) directly displacing charcoal and firewood, and (2) by generating a high-quality fertilizer that enables famers to intensify agricultural production on existing lands, rather than clearing forests to create new farmland.

COST SAVINGS

Switching to biogas can save money in many different ways. Biogas system owners will see their energy bills decrease as their crop production increases. A latrine-based biogas system will last for 30 years or more, eliminating the need to constantly dig, cement, and empty latrines.

FOOD SECURITY

Uganda has one of the highest rates of soil depletion and one of the lowest rates of fertilizer usage in the world. Imported chemical fertilizers are too expensive for all but the most affluent farmers. Anaerobic digestion transforms waste into a safe, high-quality, and affordable fertilizer.

ENERGY SECURITY

Biogas offers an alternative source of energy to fast-growing, forest-dependent communities threatened by diminishing fuelwood resources. Biogas system operators own the means of energy production, and are neither impacted by fluctuations in commodity costs (firewood/charcoal) nor reliant upon imports (LPG).

GENDER EQUITY

In Uganda, women spend an average of an hour or more each day collecting firewood, often walking more than 10 km. Biogas systems provide on-site cooking fuel, reducing the burden on women.